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Under A New Law, Italy Blocks Access to 500 Offshore Online Casinos
21.2.2006

Online
casino groups based in the
UK are urging the European
Commission to put an end to
Italy's new laws that placed
a
ban on accessing offshore
based online casinos. The Remote
Gambling Association (RGA),
which represents gambling
interests, is reportedly
seeking legal advice after
the Italian Ministry of
Economy and Finance recently
adopted a law threatening to
fine all local Internet
Service Providers that
will allow access to gaming sites
operated from outside Italy.

Under the new Italian Finance
Act of 2006, effective since
January, Italian ISPs would
be fined up to approximately
$210,000 each time they
allow a gambler to play at a
'blacklisted' online casino.
To enhance the effectiveness
of this new law, which was
allegedly instituted to
eliminate foreign
competition, several decrees
were passed earlier this
month, declaring that,
starting February 24th,
local ISP's must block
access to as many as 500
Internet casinos.

However, although European
Commission laws allow
governments to restrict
cross-border services on
moral grounds, Italy is not
allowed to ban access to
foreign online casinos
simply because it fears
competition. Also, the RGA
has asked the EC to
invalidate these
restrictions, as it argues
that Italian consumers would
otherwise suffer from
reduced competition in the
Internet gaming industry. A
spokesperson for the RGA was
reported as saying that the
association is expected to
consider its options towards
the end of February